Success In The Ledgers With "Profit And Loss!"

The Good: Sense of intrigue, Characters, Development
The Bad: Minutia
The Basics: Part of the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Profit And Loss" is well-paced and well developed telling a political story with an impressive emotional component.


The essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has an oft-overlooked episode in "Profit And Loss." While one might be tempted to view it as a part of the Ferengi subplot - because it focuses on Quark - the episode actually is part of the Cardassian main plot. In fact, it's an insinuative episode that plants the seeds for important future endeavors.

"Profit And Loss" finds a Cardassian shuttle, heavily damaged, docking at the station. The three members of the crew are Cardassian and after a limited investigation by O'Brien of their ship, it becomes clear that they are Cardassian Dissidents. Cardassian Dissidents? Well, back in "Cardassians" (reviewed here!), we learned that the Cardassian government is a balance of a Civilian Government and the Cardassian Central Command, the military. Well, the government appears to have been less stable than previously believed, as evident in this episode.

The catch is that the leader of the dissidents is Natima Lang, a Cardassian who once was romantically involved with Quark. The other catch is that Garak observes the members of Lang's party and makes the association with who they are and why they are there and decides to use it to his own purposes.

The interplay between Quark's arc and Garak's arc is phenomenal in this episode. Quark does something unexpected, putting the affection of a woman above the pursuit of profit. Wow. How uncharacteristic! And yet, it fits Quark; we're learning he has more depth than the average Ferengi. We've seen hints of it before, now we see it in full force. Garak is enhanced by his whole air of mystery. We finally learn some concrete things about who he truly is.

The prize scene of the episode, then, does not have to do with Natima and Quark reawakening their passions or the lead up to the climax where Quark pleads with Odo to release the political prisoners. Instead, the scene that lends itself to many rewatchings is between Quark and Garak. The two meet in Garak's tailor shop and discuss clothing as a metaphor for political revolution. It's a great social science scene that all people who want to change the world ought to sit through. It asks the essential question: What can one person do to change the thrust of current politics. Of course, it answers it with Garak's spin on life and that's rather dark. I also think it applies to today's world and it's worth watching.

Both the plot and the character development in this episode work well. They balance new information with known factors well. The whole episode flows well, keeping the action going and most of that is in the characters. They move the entire episode. That's refreshing.

Despite the heavy Deep Space Nine angle, this episode is remarkably accessible to people who are not fans of the series. It's the universal story of the woman given up years ago who returns fleeing tyranny and must choose between her cause and her love. It's told with an emphasis on the human, or rather character, elements and that works quite well here. “Profit And Loss” is a surprisingly good episode.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Second Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the sophomore season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

9/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie or DVD set reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2001 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Why "Masks" Isn't As Bad As Many People Think . . .

The Good: Acting, Easily the acting, Plot, Special effects
The Bad: Character, I suppose
The Basics: When the Enterprise encounters a mysterious artifact, the ship is put in danger when it begins to recreate the ship in its ideology.


Every now and then, fans of the Star Trek franchise compile lists of favorite and least favorite episodes of the different series' and the franchise as a whole. "Masks" frequently ends up on the worst list for Star Trek The Next Generation. I, personally, believe that the low-water mark for the series was with the ridiculous, though nobly-intended, environmental themed "Force Of Nature" (reviewed here!) which had such a distressingly stupid plot as to make it unwatchable. "Masks," on the other hand, is a somewhat clever idea, executed fairly well using decent actors.

The U.S.S. Enterprise discovers a giant interstellar library in space when it finds an object in space and burns away its exterior. Ever the inquisitive types, the intrepid crew of the Enterprise seeks to learn from the library and they activate the ancient device. Soon, the ship is being transformed into a temple and Commander Data is plagued by a weird schizophrenia that leads Picard to square off with him.

The cool thing about this episode is that it is essentially a myth. "Masks" tells the story of one planet's mythology by reprogramming Data and the Enterprise. Picard's showdown with the possessed Data takes place using symbols and masks and that's a clever, nonviolent resolution to the story. That makes "Mask" atypical for television, both when it aired and now on video.

What sells "Masks" as a show worth recommending is the acting. Here Brent Spiner is playing at his very best. Spiner, within frames and seconds, convinces the viewer that he is at once an old man, then a child, then someone else entirely. Spiner uses his voice, his body language and his eyes to convince the viewer of his possessions. We believe rather quickly in his experiences, in his changes of character, though he moves very little. Certainly, there are make-up changes providing a visual clue, but far more impressive and expressive of the character changes is in Spiner's acting.

Spiner's impressive acting gives the rest of the cast something to work off of. In the scenes where Spiner and Patrick Stewart interact, Stewart does an excellent job of letting Spiner carry the scene. That is to say, that in the acting give and take, Stewart bolsters Spiner's performance by withdrawing some and not allowing his character to dominate. That's professionalism. And it works to the benefit of the story.

"Masks" is not for everyone. There is little or no action here, it is a cerebral adventure. Indeed, those who might enjoy this would be academics and those who enjoy an archaeological mystery. Essentially, this is a story for those who appreciate the importance of mythology as a trait of a culture. As someone who loves mythology, I recommend this episode. I fully acknowledge that this is not great science fiction. On the other hand, I applaud Star Trek The Next Generation for mixing soft science fiction with a more liberal dose of drama and mythology.

If you are game for that, "Masks" is for you.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Seventh Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the final season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other Star Trek episode, DVD or movie reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2010, 2004 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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A Choice Makes Ripples In The Pond In "Parallels!"

The Good: Excellent acting, Intriguing plot, Good pace
The Bad: None, really; this is decent science fiction
The Basics: When Worf travels to alternate dimensions, the viewer is treated to a thoughtful consideration of how the decisions we make may change our entire life.


Long before The Butterfly Effect, there was the idea that a single choice made in your life may radically alter how your life turns out. It's a pretty simple idea and one of the places the idea saw itself illustrated well was in the Star Trek The Next Generation episode "Parallels." Unlike the frequent Hollywood journeys where a character attempts to unmake their current circumstances by rewriting the past via time travel or interdimensional jumping, "Parallels" takes a surprisingly mature approach by simply exploring the consequences of choices and accepting them.

Upon his return from a tournament, Worf begins to experience moments of lightheadedness that clear with him finding his surroundings and the people in them subtly altered. At first, the details in his life that change are minor; the painting on the wall, the type of cake he is eating at his birthday party, how he placed at the tournament. As the incidents expand, so to does the significance of the changes in his life: he finds himself on an Enterprise where the Bajorans are attacking the Federation, where Captain Picard died in the Borg attack, where Worf is first officer, and ultimately, where Worf finds himself married to Counselor Troi. Despite the reactions of those around him, Worf maintains that his memories are correct and that his surroundings have changed. With the help of his wife, he discovers that he is traveling through different dimensions and he must find a way back to his own native universe.

Parallel universes are an old thing in science fiction. Star Trek did it back in "Mirror, Mirror," by creating a universe where all of Our Heroes were simply evil. "Parallels" humanizes the principle, by forcing Worf (and the audience) to ask, "how would things have changed if this episode had ended differently?" By illustrating the consequences of various actions (i.e. Riker destroying the Borg ship without recovering Captain Picard or Troi and Worf becoming intimate following his back injury in "Ethics"), Worf is forced to acknowledge that he has been pushing away people and things that matter to him. That is to say, by seeing - in some cases - how good his alternate universe selves have it, Worf understands that there is more to life.

The real brilliance of "Parallels" comes in its resolution. Instead of trying to change the universes he finds himself in, Worf struggles to return to his own home universe. Once there, his journey takes the logical - and emotional - step of trying to make some changes there. In a series that shies away from serialization, "Parallels" is remarkably mature.

And the story would have been far less likely to succeed with anyone other than Worf. While Data was easily as popular - if not, more - as Worf, the decisions he makes and the ways he grows on Star Trek The Next Generation have more to do with personal growth. Picard already experienced much of what Worf does here in "Tapestry" and Riker's choices seem like they all would have diverged from the Enterprise, making an episode like this with him almost impossible to do. Worf, however, has always been a bit of an outsider playing on a team that strives for unity and diversity. His abilities come into play frequently and the way he comes near to having relationships with characters without ever truly being humanized makes him the ideal candidate here. And it is refreshing to see that he grows as a result of his experiences.

Michael Dorn does an excellent job playing Worf with a great range. He makes the character lovable, loving, shocked, confused, commanding and pensive all in the space of forty-three minutes. "Parallels" reads as a resume for Dorn's talents without ever seeming cliche or out of character. Dorn perfectly illustrates an organic range without ever stepping outside the persona of Worf.

People who are not fans of science fiction, much less the Star Trek franchise, will find a great deal to like here. While the episode alludes to specific incidences in the past of the series, they are not necessary to appreciating the bulk of the episode. That is to say that in the end, "Parallels" comes largely down to looking at the consequences of our choices and experiencing with one character how awkward it might be to find oneself in the middle of a different life as a result of those consequences. If you can imagine how truly different your life would be if five years ago you had made a different decision about your life, you may appreciate the magnitude of that. Even if you cannot, "Parallels" illustrates it quite well.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Seventh Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the final season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

10/10

For other Star Trek be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2004 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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Geordi's Family Crisis Fails To Inspire Repeated Viewings: "Interface"

The Good: Intriguing idea, Competent acting
The Bad: Pacing, Character work, Plot, Replayability
The Basics: When Geordi's mother goes missing, his experiences interfacing with a new probe design become confused by his emotions in "Interface."


One of the easiest ironies of Star Trek The Next Generation was that when the series began, the two biggest named actors on the regular cast were Levar Burton and Wil Wheaton and while Wheaton had plenty of airtime, Levar Burton was pretty much buried. Burton's character, Geordi LaForge, does not get his niche until the second season when he is promoted to Chief Engineer and when that occurs, it's just another reason not to keep him on camera as often. In short, Levar Burton pretty much got overlooked by the writers of the series and as a result, Geordi LaForge remains one of the least interesting, least defined characters in the Star Trek universe. In fact, it was not until the beginning of the seventh season of Star Trek The Next Generation that it occurred to the writers that they had presented nothing about Geordi's family. "Interface" seeks to reconcile that.

Geordi is experimenting with a technology that will allow him to interact with a probe in an alien environment. In the projections from the probe, LaForge is able to see what the probe sees and move around in alien environments doing things like opening doors, burning obstacles, etc. Suddenly his blindness is not a limitation and he can move around where no human could by personifying a probe that is actually in the alien environments. When Geordi's mother goes missing while LaForge is using the interface to look for clues involving the disturbance of another starship, the two accidents begin to blend together and LaForge's emotional issues begin to get the better of him.

The problem with "Interface" is twofold. The first is that as character work, this episode is "too little, too late." Geordi's whole family comes into play here when his mother's starship goes missing, but it's nearly impossible to care. By this point in the series, we're comfortable with Geordi being overlooked and it's awkward when he gets the center stage. The other problem is that the episode does not hold up especially well upon repeated viewings. Instead, this is an episode where once the surprise is known, it loses a lot of its edge. Watching it multiple times just classifies LaForge as more of a whiny officer who it is difficult to find engaging.

Part of the problem is certainly the pacing. The episode begins with an intriguing idea that is well-executed: seeing Geordi, without his VISOR, walking around an alien starship doing things. Then, the family drama takes over and the episode's momentum dies. Completely. It never recovers from that and when the two portions of the episode come together, the novelty of the first is lost and it is smothered by Geordi's unrelenting emotional baggage.

At best, the episode has Competent acting. Levar Burton does not burn up the screen portraying Geordi here, but at least he does the best he can with the weak script. He clearly infuses passion into the character and that has to be worth something.

Unfortunately, it is not enough to save the episode. This is one of Star Trek The Next Generation's duds and a one trick pony that quickly wears the viewer's patience out.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Seventh Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the final season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

4/10

Want to see how this episode stacks up against the other episodes and movies in the Star Trek franchise? Click here to visit the index page with the episodes ordered by rating with clickable links back to the corresponding review!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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A Little Romance For The Captain Comes In "Lessons!"

The Good: Nice character development, Sweet, Well-executed plot
The Bad: Somewhat standard and obvious plot, Stiff guest acting
The Basics: In a charming little episode, "Lessons," Picard falls in love with a Commander in stellar cartography.


Captain Picard is an intriguing character in many ways. He is strong, resilient, intelligent, cultured and a natural leader on Star Trek The Next Generation. Those admirable qualities come with a price, however. Picard is a lonely man at the end of the day and his job isolates him from those around him in a way that is very difficult to relate to. In "Lessons" some of that changes, at least for a while.

When Captain Picard cannot get his cup of tea late one night, he traces the problem to stellar cartography, where he encounters Nella Daren. Daren is polite, but abrupt with the captain, who ruined an experiment of hers when he entered stellar cartography. Picard sees Daren again at a concert and his appreciation of her music leads them to have a discussion where he reveals his own interest in music. The two meet and he shares his music, the Ressikan flute from "The Inner Light" (reviewed here!), and they begin a romantic relationship. No sooner is their relationship going places than the Enterprise must respond to a dangerous situation on a nearby planet and Nella's life will be put at risk.

Because it is Star Trek The Next Generation, Daren will survive the firestorms she is sent to help deal with. If it was Star Trek Deep Space Nine, she either would have been dead at the end of the episode or the relationship would have endured. In the case of "Lessons," Daren survives and the relationship falls apart for some rather adult reasons. Now, why would I ruin the end for you? Simply put, the plot on this one is pretty predictable and figuring out that Daren and Picard are not going to be together beyond the one episode does not take a rocket scientist. All it takes is anyone who has seen episodic dramas for a few years.

The thing is, "Lessons" is not so much about what happens when - i.e. plot - as the significance of what happens, which is character. Picard makes a huge character leap forward by opening up to loving Daren. This is easily illustrated through his sharing his music with her, a memory of an entire life spent elsewhere. The personal nature of the Captain's sharing makes the episode remarkably sweet and very vital to the Picard character. Gone is the unlovable curmudgeon of the first episodes of the series, here is a man who is opening up and risking on love and the episode feels very organic.

A lot of the credit must go to Patrick Stewart. Stewart is given the rare opportunity to emote. Indeed, the last time he had such a chance was back in the fifth season's "The Inner Light" and here he manages to express the same warm sense of love in the context of the character we know and love, which makes it quite a different performance. Instead of seeing Kamen - the delusional vision of Picard - experience love, here we see Picard with all of his characteristics attempt to express love and joy and the performance Patrick Stewart gives is distinct and impressive.

The underriding problem of "Lessons" is in Wendy Hughes, who plays Daren. Hughes comes across as stiff in many of the scenes she shares with Patrick Stewart. While her character is awkward in the concert scene near the beginning of the episode, the nervousness in her conversation with Picard seems to be more the actress getting out her lines. That is, she fails to emote in a realistic fashion in scenes with Stewart. Conversely, her scene with Jonathan Frakes in the corridor feels very genuine. So while Daren is a fine character, Hughes' performance does manage to undermine the romance.

In the end, "Lessons" is an entertaining hour of television and a nice bit of drama. Fans of science fiction will likely be disappointed by the strong romantic plot that has almost no mystery to it, though fans of Star Trek The Next Generation will welcome the chance to see Captain Picard finally get some.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the penultimate season by clicking here!
Thanks!]


7/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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The Things That Take You Out In The Middle Of The Night: "Schisms!"

The Good: Conceptually frightening, Well acted, Well plotted, Decent effects
The Bad: Pacing; Episode comes together too quickly, Lack of character development
The Basics: When members of the Enterprise crew are abducted for medical experiments, one of the most frightening episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation results.


Star Trek The Next Generation rarely did horror episodes, it was primarily a family show. Still, once in a while it would step out and try something truly terrifying. In "Schisms" just how dark Star Trek The Next Generation could go was tested.

In "Schisms," Riker finds himself quite tired and as the Enterprise explores a new area of space, he only gets more and more exhausted. When the Enterprise begins to malfunction, Riker's tired state worsens and the crew soon attempts to find a link. The link comes when others begin experiencing health problems and have the faintest memories of being in another place. Riker discovers that he and other crewmembers have been abducted by aliens from another dimension who are performing cruel experiments on them for unknown reasons . . .

This is a scary episode when you get down to it. After all, we have nightmares as children about monsters under the bed. This is the adult version; creatures that steal us out of our beds with tranquilizers and transporters to perform experiments on us. Perhaps one of the best and most creepy deliveries of the series is when Dr. Crusher informs Riker that his forearm has been removed and reattached with a 2 micron difference. And the crewman whose blood becomes a liquid polymer . . . ick. Frightening stuff and it is wonderfully maintained throughout the episode.

The problem with this is that when the actual problem is revealed, the solution comes way too quickly. The scene in the holodeck wherein members of the crew reconstruct the alien laboratory seems to come far too easily. The episode takes a drastic shift in perspective, from focusing on Riker to admitting all of these other people into an event we did not associate with them. And how quickly they piece together all that happened seems unnatural and inorganic.

This is not the fault of the actors, though. I think that scene, especially, is the result of people acting well with poor material. The rest of the episode is actors working quite well with wonderful material. Gates McFadden plays confusion over her patients' conditions precisely and with great realism. Similarly, when Data becomes a victim, Brent Spiner's ability to be both unemotional and confused is masterful.

The best performance comes in the form of Jonathan Frakes. Perhaps as a prelude to the upcoming "Frame Of Mind," Frakes puts his all into being tired and disoriented. His command over his facial expressions in "Schisms" is impressive, keeping his cheeks relaxed and eyes sunken in an expression anyone who has ever gone 35 hours or more without sleeping will empathize with and recognize. Frakes gives a truly inspired performance here and he deserves all sorts of credit for keeping the tension in this episode high.

Still, even Frakes' great performance is not enough to cover the lack of character development in this episode. He does a fine job acting, but the characters simply experience this one; they do not grow or change as a result. "Schisms" is supposed to be scary and little more. So when it's over, there's a distinct lack of consequences to it; the crewpeople who died are not people we see week to week, there's no growth or change in the crew as a result of this freaky incident.

"Schisms" will be enjoyable to anyone who likes a good suspenseful horror with little gore. Probably a little too slow and scary for children, this is science fiction horror doing things mostly right and it's worth coming back to. Quite accessible for those who are not fans of Star Trek The Next Generation.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the penultimate season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

7/10

For other Star Trek episode reviews, be sure to check out the index page here!

© 2011, 2008, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Villains Of The Psychic Realm Are Responsible For "Violations!"

The Good: Decent acting, Good idea
The Bad: Predictable plot arc
The Basics: A disturbing episode of Star Trek The Next Generation puts a vengeful telepath among the crew, putting his adversaries into psychic comas.


When the previews for "Violations" were aired, many a Star Trek The Next Generation fan pined for the next episode of the series. Why? The preview showed Counselor Troi and Commander Riker having sex, which was pretty much one of the things anyone who stuck with the series was waiting for. The problem is, the fans - which include me - were woefully disappointed as Riker and Troi do not make love in the episode. In fact, those who watched with anticipation left in revulsion.

When a visiting alien race arrives on the Enterprise, they use their telepathic abilities to help the crew recall long lost memories. Keiko O'Brien opens the episode, having an experience with the Ullian ambassador whereby she remembers her childhood with her grandmother. Shortly thereafter, Counselor Troi is struck down by a telepathic attack wherein Commander Riker rapes her. Riker soon falls prey to a telepathic attack where he fails to save an engineering crew. Investigating the malaise, Dr. Crusher is wounded as well. The psychic attacks seem unstoppable when Troi suddenly reawakens. She attempts to point the finger at the instigator, unaware that she is under the influence of the real villain.

The Ullians make for an interesting villain and ally, but in the end they represent just another aspect of humanity. In this case, the Ullian story is one of father/son competition and it soon becomes evident that Jev, Ullian ambassador Tarmin's son, is living in the shadow of his father's talents. Tarmin comes across as more clueless and proud than malicious. Jev is a decent villain and his motivations are better than many of the villains that come up in the Star Trek universe.

The best acting in the episode does not come from the actor who plays Jev, nor even Marina Sirtis whose telepathic rape scene must have been very difficult to do. Instead, the episode is enhanced by the performances of David Sage and Rosalind Chao. Sage plays Tarmin and he immediately creates a proud, somewhat stodgy character who we believe in. When Sage puts his fingers to his temples, we intrinsically believe in his mental powers. His screen presence sells us right away on his character's abilities and his compassion and concern are evident throughout the episode.

Rosalind Chao similarly does a great job with her brief role in "Violations." Never a victim of the attacks, Chao convincingly brings us into the episode. Her performance opens up the episode and immediately provides the viewer with a very real interface to the episode. She provides a human tether that stretches us between what we experience in our lives and what Keiko is experiencing on the Enterprise.

The problem is the plot is obvious. From the beginning of the episode, we know who the perpetrator of the crimes is. The problem extends to the writers attempting to keep us on our toes when we know the truth. In the end, it is unsurprising and the journey is not terribly compelling. In short, the episode becomes disturbing as opposed to intriguing.

What is worth coming back to is the character play of "Violations." Very reasonably, the episode plays upon the fears of the characters. Troi, reasonably, fears rape - especially of the psychic kind and here she experiences the worst she could ever have. Dr. Crusher's fears about the death of her husband and Riker's fear of losing those under his command, are both things they have experienced as well. It's somewhat refreshing to see that their demons, like most people's do comeback to haunt them.

In the end, "Violations" is an episode about experiencing trauma and the lengths individuals will go to when frustrated over their place in life and that's a theme almost anyone can interface with. The futuristic setting is likely to not be bothersome to people who are not traditional fans of science fiction shows.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other Star Trek episode or DVD reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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A Marriage Of Plot Convenience And A Day In The Life: "Data's Day"

The Good: Good character story, Well acted
The Bad: Strangely disoriented plot
The Basics: When Miles O'Brien plans to get married, Data finds himself caught between an nervous fiance and a Romulan trap.


Miles Edward O'Brien is a rather eclectic character on Star Trek The Next Generation: he was on for the first three years as simply "O'Brien" and in the fourth season's second episode, he finally got a first name. And then . . . he suddenly gets married. Oh? In "Data's Day," we learn that this strangely anonymous character has been dating a botanist on the Enterprise and here they actually get married. Go figure. It's one of those "out of left field" things that an episodic show will do that a great serialized show will not be able to pull off.

"Data's Day" is actually not an O'Brien story, though the events in this episode will resonate throughout his entire character arc on this series as well as Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Data, it seems, has been in communication with Commander Bruce Maddox (from "Measure Of A Man" back in season two, reviewed here!) attempting to explain the various parts of his day. This day finds the Enterprise escorting a Vulcan ambassador to the Romulan Neutral Zone for a treaty negotiation while Keiko is experiencing cold feet. When the Vulcan ambassador is killed in the transporter, the Romulans get upset and Data is caught between Miles and Keiko on the personal level and the Romulans on the professional front.

What is nice about the episode is that it keeps us wanting to watch. The tired plot of the woman with cold feet before her wedding is well interwoven with the Vulcan/Romulan plot. How? Well, fans of the show are kept watching attempting to figure out the bizarre relationship between Miles and Keiko and attempt to figure out why they were ever together in the first place. People unfamiliar with the series will keep watching for the interactions between Data and Keiko and Data and O'Brien.

The Data plot dealing with the personal issues is not terribly clever, but it does manage to be amusing and sometimes that's enough in this episode. The only real problematic aspect of this episode in this regard is that Data is once again treated like he has not learned anything in the prior twenty-five+ years since he was activated. Suspension of disbelief applies, though fans of the series might be irked at the way Data is used for cheap laughs in the interpersonal plot of "Data's Day."

However, the political intrigue of the plot with the Romulans is very good; the tension is high throughout. With the Romulans, there is always the possibility of betrayal; they are notorious for having plans and manipulations. Even people unfamiliar with Star Trek The Next Generation will be drawn into the political tension of that part of the plot. The Romulans are used here well, presenting a decent front of offense as they appear to be genuinely interested in negotiating a peace and the death of the ambassador seriously compromises that. The treachery of the Romulans is always fun to watch and it seems they are in this episode for far too little time.

But the plot alone is somewhat self-defeating: an ordinary day on the Enterprise. One must assume that there are many, yet this is not one of them (i.e. this is not an ORDINARY day on the ship). We aren't privileged with seeing one of those. This episode, however, is the closest we get. Even more than the seventh season's "Lower Decks" which takes the focus off the main crew is more extraordinary of a day than the one in "Data's Day."

What works better than the plot - which works fine for a bottle episode, yet seems odd in the context of the series - is the acting and the character development. While O'Brien seems a rather unlikely choice to get married, he's also a safe character to marry off and it ends up working out very well as the O'Briens become a reassuring ADULT relationship on television. Because the characters are destined for something more impressive and adult (Star Trek Deep Space Nine), it's nice to see the O'Briens establishing a relationship that will have actual consequences. Their relationship pops up in subsequent episodes and that's a nice additional bit of continuity for this usually episodic show.

But here, O'Brien gets true development as we see his anger and confusion over Keiko's doubts. Moreover, balancing his emotions with his respect for superior officers comes through excellently in his scenes with Data. Keiko, however, begins her run on the series as pretty much the archetype of the nervous fiance. Fortunately, her character rapidly gets better.

Data, for his part, develops fine. Here he makes more baby steps toward becoming more and more human by exploring deception and love. In that respect, the elements of this episode come together wonderfully on the nose. Again, though, there are moments here where Data is used for a cheap laugh - the climax to the dancing scene, for example - and that is somewhat disappointing.

The characters and the plot are supported richly by the acting. Rosalind Chao makes her Star Trek debut as Keiko and she was cast perfectly to be a foil character for Miles O'Brien. Colm Meany makes Miles human with his frustration, anger and hurt. Without his acting talents, O'Brien would be stale and flat. Instead, he comes across as one of the most viable and real characters on Star Trek The Next Generation. He seems exactly like the type of person we might know, which helps to ground the series.

But, naturally for a story entitled "Data's Day," much of the burden comes down to Brent Spiner. Spiner does his best job in some time playing Data as unemotional. Here his performance is quite pure and it works very well. Spiner makes the episode worth rewatching. Only when one sees Spiner outside the Star Trek The Next Generation setting may one truly appreciate the depth of acting he embodies on Trek, as his natural instincts are toward comedy. He does the whole "emotionless" thing perfectly in this episode, though!

There's a lot here for fans and non-fans of Star Trek The Next Generation to enjoy. Outside from the comic misadventures of Data trying to make Keiko happy, the tense political plot with the Romulans keeps the story engrossing.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fourth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

For other political espionage Star Trek works, please check out:
"The Enterprise Incident"
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Federation

6.5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please visit the index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Got A God Complex? Watch "Who Watches The Watchers?"!

The Good: Interesting plot, good philosophies, Good acting, fun character development
The Bad: Moments of foolish underdevelopment in the guest aliens
The Basics: The idea of not interfering with other cultures is put to the test when a concealed outpost reveals itself to some natives.


When the Prime Directive is thrown around on Star Trek and Star Trek The Next Generation, it's usually because someone is considering breaking it for a reason and the episode revolves around the reason. In "Who Watches the Watchers?," the viewer receives probably the best argument for the non-interference directive. The essential idea behind the Prime Directive is that advanced cultures, like the intrepid heroes of Star Trek, have a responsibility to less developed cultures to not interfere with how they would normally develop and grow.

When a Federation cultural outpost on Mintaka has an energy short out, the Enterprise rushes to its rescue. It finds the outpost burnt out, its holographic generator (which disguises it from the locals) non-functional and some of the personnel missing. In search of the lost sociologist, Riker and Troi disguise themselves as Mintakans and infiltrate the tribe. Unfortunately for them, one of the Mintakans witnessed the Away Team in the outpost and when Dr. Crusher attempts to wipe his memory, she fails. This Mintakan is now of the belief that he was dead and he was resurrected by The Picard. Captain Picard, desperate to restore order, attempts to convince the natives he is not a god, until the only obvious way out presents itself.

"Who Watches the Watchers?" creates a pretty fundamental ethical debate: what is the value of truth vs. the value of principle. The truth is the Federation - in this instance - is simply a bunch of explorers who blew their cover. The Mintakans believe them to be gods and attempt to beg favors from them, some of which Picard could actually provide. The truth, however, also is that technology does not make a man into a god. While less developed cultures might witness technology and concepts as godlike, it does not bestow godlike powers on those who simply use technology that is of an advanced nature.

That is an ethical concept that is explored in depth in this episode. "Who Watches The Watchers?" is well-written in that the theme of the episode - responsibilities of advanced cultures, not the simple rescue mission - is well-developed and explored from every significant angle. And the exploration is valuable and well-conceived.

The unfortunate aspect of the episode involves the tribe's leader, a wise woman who Picard actually brings up to the Enterprise. There he shows her that he is not immortal, nor all powerful. In a scene that works quite well, he illustrates that he does not control life and death and that he is simply in a different style hut than the ones she lives in. Unfortunately, after she witnesses these things and makes this leap, she has some stale dialog wherein she again begs the favor of The Picard. Weren't we just through that?!

In short, she is given the most potent example of Picard failing to control life and death and the actress has such a beautiful expression of epiphany on her face as the example plays out. So, why then does the character revert to her ignorance almost immediately after that? That's sloppy and it's a shame the director did not catch that or re-edit the episode to make it make more sense.

Fortunately, it's the only bit of stale dialog in the piece. Riker and Troi have a chance to develop as characters as they go undercover and are forced to improvise. Troi, especially, stretches her legs, infusing the situation with wry humor. This is one of the episodes where the Riker and Troi episode is more explicit (for all the love of the relationship that the fans have, much of their relationship in the actual series is implicit), with the characters relying on one another that uses a level of trust many of the officers do not necessarily have with one another.

This also gives actors Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis the opportunity to play off one another as performers and they seem to enjoy it. Frakes makes his eyes light up with amusement - through decent prosthetics - as Sirtis delivers lines about Riker's place as a man in the Mintakan's society. Frakes looks like he's having fun.

Some of the character work that works best in the episode, I credit to the actress. Marina Sirtis has, historically, been given a dreadfully serious character with Counselor Deanna Troi. The actress is nowhere near the morose, restrained woman Troi is (see her at one convention and you'd know!). In "Who Watches the Watchers?," a moment of Marina escapes and it works quite well. Even when she is not letting her own personality through, Sirtis gives Troi a very different embodiment of strength in this episode and it works well.

This episode is a must for anyone interested in sociology as it quite vividly portrays what may happen when a culture becomes contaminated by outside influences. It also marks the last - to my knowledge - mention of Dr. Pulaski. Accessible to all, "Who Watches the Watchers?" is a captivating ethical dilemma that is an ideal bottle story.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Third Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the third season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

8/10

For other Star Trek DVD, episode and movie reviews, please visit my index page on the subject by clicking here! (Lots of good stuff there!)

© 2011, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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